2018 Annual Report

Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership | Marianna Raftopoulos Business Success Center

Office Mailing
50 College Drive P.O. Box 1232
Craig, CO 81625 Craig, CO 81626
970.620.4370
ChooseMoffatCounty.com
facebook.com/
CraigEconomicDevelopment
Economic development 2018 accomplishments
BUSINESS SERVICES
• Served 66 business clients
representing the industries
detailed at right
• Advocated for the inclusion
of Moffat County’s census
tracts in the Opportunity
Zone designations with
the successful inclusion of
Craig Tract 4
• Managed the Small Business
Development Center
satellite office and
welcomed Dave DeRose as a local consultant
• Hosted several business workshops featuring experts on the most requested assistance topics
• Created an inventory of all available commercial property for sale and for rent
• Hosted three business visit meetings for Board of Directors and public to hear directly from
business owners what support is needed for retention and growth

Did you know?

In 2018, we paired
business client
Local Investments LLC
with client Yampa Valley
Brewing Company to
form a collaboration for
The Barrel Cathedral to
be open soon at 576
Yampa Avenue. We also
anonymously negotiated
the lease of a portion of
the Alice Pleasant Park
property with the City of
Craig for outdoor
seating.
STRATEGIZING
• Actively participated in the creation of the first regional Comprehensive Economic Development
Strategy and application to become an Economic Development District
• Led the completion of the data-based supply chain and gap analysis project, the Business
Opportunity Toolkit, with 19 recommendations for economic growth in Moffat County
• Created the Downtown Revitalization Committee to create a plan for reinvigorating downtown
Craig real estate and businesses
• Led the community brand process to earn a state technical assistance award and develop a brand
with wide-reaching impacts on economic development and tourism marketing
• Partnered to lead the Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism (CRAFT) Studio 101 technical assistance
opportunity
• Earned the Launch a Sector Partnership Blueprint 2.0 technical assistance opportunity
BROADBAND
• Applied for and presented on Colorado
Department of Local Affairs grant for
broadband with private and public match
• Completed the design, preliminary engineering
and cost model for a countywide network
owned by the City of Craig
• Spent hundreds of hours hosting local
meetings, attending statewide planning
meetings, promoting public education,
working with potential funders, grant-
writing and preparing RFPs, contracts and
other documents
• Supported Yampa Valley Electric Association in its pursuit of building a broadband network in Craig
EVENTS
• Hosted the Economic Development Principles & Practices event to give an overview of efforts in
rural communities and release the Business Opportunity Toolkit
• Helped Craig play host to the Economic Development Council of Colorado Regional Forum
• Hosted U.S. Representative Scott Tipton and U.S Department of Agriculture Rural Development
State Director Sallie Clark
• Participated in planning and promoting Downtown Business Association events and Whittle the
Wood Rendezvous
GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
• Garnered hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and technical assistance support for
community projects and programs
Operations
2018 Board of Directors
Luke Tucker, Chair
Rich Thompson, Vice Chair & Secretary
Chris Jones, Treasurer
Derek Duran
Kelsea Henry
Justin Kawcak
Audrey Anna Masterson
Jay Oxley
David Ulrich, ED.D.

Staff
Michelle Perry, Executive Director

CONTRIBUTORS
Moffat County Local Marketing District
City of Craig

MEMBERS